Bean Flicker | Odd Side Ales

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Reviews by lurpy1:

An interesting take on a typical blonde ale, with an unmistakable coffee. Other than that, this is your typical unproposessing blonde, with guzzle-down drinkabilty traded off for any sort of body. This is photoshopped supermodel-thin. Still, I enjoyed it. An above average and unique blonde ale. That may not be saying a ton, but one of the better blondes out there.

More User Reviews:

I was made to try this with my eyes closed and guess the color. Yep got it wrong. Love the light coffee flavor and crispness of the blonde. My palate isnt so sophisticated, but this tastes deliciously.... delicate? Im not sure but I enjoy this beer.

Nice to see a bit of equal opportunity for masturbation references in the beer world... Anyhoo, this stuff pours a clear brass topped by a finger of relatively short-lived lightly off-white foam. The nose comprises rich coffee, complete with that chocolate sort of smell that tends to tag along with it in those coffee stores in the mall (they still have those stores, right? I don't get out much...). It's pretty simple and straightforward. The taste brings in more of the same, but the richness is decidedly toned down here, forcefully waned by milquetoast grains (I meant that as the pure adjective, not as the specific grains that go into the creation of said bready treat). The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a slick feel. Overall, a nice coffee blonde, but one I wish had a bit more of that coffee character on the tongue. I'm not saying I want as much as my 'strils get, as that would likely be a bit much, but some real coffee oomph would have worked far better than this blend of mild coffee and vague breadiness.

Gotta wonder how Odd Side got past the FCC with a name like this (wink, wink), but it's pretty funny nonetheless. Of course for nearly any time of cocoa/coffee flavored beer, you'd be expecting something at least as dark as a burnt sienna, but this baby is beaming gold and rustic amber all around with only a mild chill haze in the center. Thick and foamy is the luscious white head that forms on top, leaving nice lacing as it settles to a collar.

Dipping your nose to the edge of a beer this blonde shouldn't bring forth such notes of coffee and chocolate, but it does - and that's what Odd Side was setting out to achieve. Creamy, lightly roasted coffee beans with heavier amounts of solid and sweet milk chocolate. Lighter hints of vanilla and even caramel crowd the background, with some slightly grainy malt to close it out. Though it's labeled as strictly a coffee beer, chocolate wins out in the aroma.

The taste has some amplification in the coffee department from the aroma, thought the chocolate on the palate is still at least as strong, and probably still stronger. Creamy chocolate, smooth roasted coffee, and some bright, graininess on the back-end that serves to remind you that you're drinking a blonde ale that's only a shade darker than the sunshine and not a porter or a black hole colored stout, here.

Being a blonde ale, of course, causes a slight disturbance in terms of mouth feel (for me at least). With flavors like this - coffee, chocolate, roast - my mind and my palate has been conditioned to expect a thicker, smoother, bigger body and more creamy, luxurious, lacquering mouth feel. The mouth feel of the beer is nice, for a typical blonde ale - light, crisp, and sharp. But I guess I'm expecting something "bigger" to back up the robust and deep flavors.

This stuff reminds me of that purple and green ketchup that Heinz put out many years ago. It smells and tastes as it's labeled, but it looks completely mismatched and causes a mild mind bending when you make the transfer from sight to smell to taste. I actually enjoyed Bean Flicker more than I had anticipated... It was quite tasty, really, though the optical illusion aspect is something my tickled brain couldn't overcome completely.

Lots of vanilla flavor. Some coffee and a little chocolate. As someone else said, little carbonation which is ok with me. Smooth and drinkable but probably not a regular go to beer for me given the intensity of the vanilla flavor. But, a refreshing change of pace!

A big, billowing soapy white head condenses down to a full finger of a heavy, craggy crown that shows off some good retention, while bubbling from the bottom of the glass continues to keep it strong. It rests on a chill hazed but bright dark yellow-gold brew. Lacing is left in thick, sturdy spotting starting from the top.
The aroma is quite distinctive. It's an interesting idea to use a blonde beer as a base. It allows the coffee to rule, though this beer is brewed well enough that the coffee doesn't completely overshadow the pale malts or the light floral and citrus hops notes. Underneath is a touch of earth and a grassy, not quite herbal note.
The flavor is more interesting. The parts try to separate themselves and get a little muddled doing so. Particularly of note is an initial tangy, tart citrus note that drops for straight coffee to come through and then puts some zest back in when the coffee falls back. Grains go in and out underneath, malts asserting themselves a bit.
The feel has too much spritz at first, though that drops after time. While appropriately light-bodied, it tends toward a watery feel in the middle with nothing to really make up for the loss. a smoothness seems to attempt to develop but doesn't really. A minerality comes out at the end of each sip.

Appearance- clear effervescent gold, with a soapy looking head that quickly dissipates with little to no lacing. It honestly has the look of an adjunct lager nothing remotely impressive in the appearance.

Smell- I am picking up the fragrance if a fresh brewed hazelnut coffee, nodes of vanilla, cream and sugary bready sweetness, and a light grassiness of morning dew.

Taste/mouthfeel- WOW! Just Wow! This is the most flavorful light beer that I have ever had. Starts out with a creamy hazelnut and vanilla flavor that then shifts to a flavor of fresh brewed coffee. Has a light bready malt quality in the finish. The body of this one is light without ever becoming watery. The mouthfeel and after taste are phenomenal leaving a flavor of having just finished a fresh cup of hazlenut or french press coffee.

Overall- I have had this beer several times now. Twice on tap and have purchase three six packs of it. This is my favorite sessionable beer at only 4.5% ABV I could drink this beer all day. If it proves to be available year round I have a new go to beer. I hate blonde ales because they usually lack flavor and complexity but this one has me wanting to revisit the style. Love Odd Side's brews highly recommend this beer!

I picked up a bean flicker from the Binnys single shelf. It poured a clear golden with white head that is leaving a spotty lace. The scent has vanilla and coffee. The taste is like a white mocha...quite nice. The Mouthfeel is medium in body with good carbonation. Overall it's an interesting beer and worth a try.